1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multi-wheeled barrows and, more particularly, to an improved, forward dumping design possessing a safety feature to prevent inadvertent rearward dumping and/or injury to the operator.
2. Description of the Background
Single- and multi-wheeled barrows represent some of mankind""s earliest wheeled vehicles and are, therefore, well known. The predominant design of such barrows possesses rearwardly extending handlebars, a single wheel positioned toward the front of the barrow, and two rear-mounted, vertical legs on which the barrow rests/balances when not in motion. Motion occurs when an operator, standing behind the barrow between the handlebars, lifts the rear portion by means of said handlebars and pushes/pulls the barrow. Variations on this basic design are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,052,079 to Lehman, 4,789,171 to Porter, and 5,149,116 to Donze et al. While one advantage of this design is the ability to dump the barrow""s contents forward or to either side, the fact that the operator must hold the handlebars in a raised position while walking forward/backward is problematic. When heavy loads are involved, the act of lifting and holding the legs off of the ground while moving the barrow subjects the operator to various forms of injury.
Alternative designs typically place two wheels toward the back end of the barrow or, in other words, at a point located behind the leg(s) or surface(s) utilized to balance the barrow when stationary. An operator moves (i.e. pushes/pulls) a barrow of this type by exerting downward force on the rearwardly extending handle assembly in order to raise the balancing leg(s)/surface(s) off of the ground. The barrow is emptied by tilting or pivoting it forward to discharge the cargo over the front lip or leading edge. Examples of this concept are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,888,501 to McChesney, 4,629,203 to Ballard, and 6,193,319 to Kielinski.
This xe2x80x9crear wheelxe2x80x9d design is superior because, unlike xe2x80x9cfront-wheelxe2x80x9d barrows the operator does not have to lift a significant percentage of the total weight of the barrow and cargo (unless, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,116, a counterweight is included in front of the wheel(s)xe2x80x94thereby adding substantially to the overall weight of the barrow). This is because the center of the entire barrow/cargo combination can be located almost directly over the wheels. The leverage resulting from the ratio of (1) the effective length of the handle assembly (i.e. the horizontal distance from the centerline of the wheels to the end of the handle assembly; to (2) the minimal horizontal distance, or moment arm, between the center of gravity of the entire barrow/cargo combination and the centerline of the wheels, means that a relatively small amount of downward force is needed to lift the legs off of the ground regardless of the weight of the cargo.
Unfortunately, as the wheels are shifted rearward the barrow becomes more susceptible to tipping over rearwardly. An unexpected, or inadvertent, rearward tipping of the barrow may result in either the spilling/dumping of some or all of the cargo contained therein, or an injury to the operator, or some other nearby individual, due to being hit by, or trapped under, the handle assembly. Therefore, there exists a need for a forward dumping, two-wheeled barrow designed to prevent inadvertent rearward spilling/dumping of cargo and/or injury to the operator or nearby individuals.
It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved configuration for a forward dumping, two-wheeled barrow that possesses the means to prevent inadvertent rearward dumping and/or injury to the operator.
It is still another object to provide an improved configuration for a forward dumping, two-wheeled barrow that possesses a simple, lightweight, ergonomically-correct design with a high strength-to-weight ratio.
It is still another object to provide a forward dumping, two-wheeled barrow with a stable xe2x80x9cloadingxe2x80x9d position by which contents may be safely loaded and unloaded without risk of tipping.
In accordance with the above objects, one embodiment of an improved configuration is a barrow that possesses a safety/spill prevention bracket located somewhere between the wheels and the end of the handle assembly. This novel feature prevents potential injury to the operator or nearby individuals (e.g. to the feet and to the hands) and avoids the problem of emptying all or some of the receptacle""s contents in an unintended location. A brief description of the forward dumping, two-wheeled barrow according to the present invention is as follows. The ergonomically designed barrow is fabricated of a variety of strong, lightweight materials (e.g. aluminum, reinforced plastics) to provide a high-strength-to-weight ratio. The three main subassemblies of the present invention include a frame assembly, a wheel assembly, and the cargo receptacle. The frame assembly preferably includes an adjustable length handle assembly.